Since my introduction to Android (a la Nexus One), I've owned three HTC devices. I've reviewed probably a half-dozen others. I liked some of them, and I disliked others. But generally, I consider myself an HTC fan, especially since the One X.

The new One phone sounds brilliant. Ron's early impressions are promising. The initial response at large seems to be that HTC is finally being bold in a way that's causing people to take notice, by taking risks.

And have no doubt - HTC's biggest bets with the One phone are seriously risky. Particularly, convincing consumers that they want a 4 megapixel camera, and to ditch their traditional icon-laden homescreens for a Flipboard-meets-Windows-Live-Tiles information feed. The problem is that, in my mind, these bets may end up as 'too little, too late' in the markets HTC needs to tear from Samsung and Apple's grasp.

A year ago, there was still a real battle to fight

Imagine it's late February - in 2012. The Galaxy S III is just a rumory twinkle in the collective eyes of the tech world, and we're on the brink of HTC's launch of the original One series at MWC. And when it launched, if you'll recall, the One series was already enthusiastically billed as HTC's 'comeback' moment, with a less-bloated, more streamlined version of Sense, an amazing camera, authentic sound, and... wait, which phone's marketing points are we talking about again? I forgot - because they're exactly the same.

While HTC was already on the fast track to dropping market share in 2012 thanks to Samsung, the battle didn't seem quite so over as it does now. The One series was HTC's chance to take Samsung down a peg, not by just doing something better, but by doing something different. The One X remains, I think, one of the prettiest phones ever built. And while I'd argue that the Galaxy S III was a faster phone with more features and functionality, the One X was a very competitive piece of hardware. But it was far from revolutionary, and it really didn't try to change the game.

And it flopped.

The HTC Reboot: Attempt #1

The whole One series did - HTC's market share continued to plummet worldwide, and profits began falling. Peter Chou, CEO of HTC, claims it was because of bad marketing. That was probably a big part of it. In the US, HTC does basically zero advertising on its own, leaving that to its carrier partners. That's how Verizon and Sprint get away with the 'EVO' and 'DROID' brands - they foot the ad bill and provide premium retail placement in exchange for bespoke hardware. AT&T does something similar through device exclusives (see every Sony Android phone in the US ever except the Xperia Play).

HTC's strategy was really to let the One series speak for itself, and on the eve of the single largest marketing barrage for a smartphone that wasn't an iPhone to date, that turned out to be an extraordinarily bad call. HTC was buried under a galaxy of Samsung billboards, commercials, print ads, and media attention.

And with that push, Samsung reached a milestone no Android OEM had before: mainstream recognition. There is no doubt at this point that the Galaxy S IV is the world's most anticipated smartphone not designed in Cupertino. There's also no doubt that the HTC One wasn't.

A shrinking smartphone pie

According to comScore, HTC slid to 10.2% of the smartphone market in the US in Q42012, a number that has fallen every quarter for the last year plus. Chitika places them at a mere 5% of mobile web traffic. IDC figures put HTC below Samsung, Apple, Huawei, ZTE, and Sony in terms of worldwide device shipments - positioning them at less than 4.3% of handsets sold.

The amount of smartphone market share up for grabs is quickly shrinking - there is an ever-smaller slice for other OEMs to fight for as Samsung and Apple account for more and more sales. And unlike Samsung or Apple, HTC is not a wealthy international supergiant with a marketing budget to match - they're a white label manufacturer gone brand-name, trying to emerge as a recognizable mark in an increasingly cutthroat market.

What's worse is that there isn't any real reason to think this trend will be bucked any time soon. The Galaxy S IV will almost certainly be the most popular Android phone to date, and sliding stock aside, Apple's next iPhone isn't likely to be a surprise failure. Meanwhile, Google's unlocked Nexus value proposition actually seems to be gaining some traction, while Sony and LG are pushing with all their might to become relevant players in the smartphone space.

The fact is, there are powerful forces at work here, and all of them want to control the "Not Samsung" piece of the Android pie. LG, Google (and by relation, Motorola), and Sony all enjoy greater brand recognition and financial resources than HTC. They're the players that can afford to lose before they win - HTC can't. HTC needs to win right now, or it will be doomed to die a slow death in the "Other" sections of these charts.

Going for broke

I'm not saying HTC has no chance with the One. It could be a return to success for the company. With the right marketing (read: good and pervasive), wide critical praise, and a preemptive availability strike, HTC might be the underdog to root for this year. But as the One X made clear, success isn't always about building a great product. It's about building a great product, telling everyone about it (and why it's great, and different), and getting it on the right shelves at the right time.

Clearly, this is HTC's strategy: it's releasing the One before Samsung will have the S IV on sale, on more carriers than ever before (minus Verizon in the US, which is a concern), and has made it clear that marketing is a real priority. The pieces are in place. The HTC One may also be a legitimately great phone. I actually kind of expect it to be - it's an intriguing design, and it looks like HTC has done some legitimate innovating this time around. I'm very excited to try it out. But I'm afraid that this is the kind of breakout innovation HTC needed last year - before the Samsung marketing machine unleashed its Galaxy S III blitzkrieg on the world.

Let me put it this way: HTC's real problem isn't in getting people like you or me to geek out on ultrapixels or dual front-facing speakers. Even if those things are great, they don't do much good if you can't convince the average person that they want them - success is far from guaranteed. And for HTC, the chance of that success seems to decrease on a quarterly basis. Let's hope Mr. Chou is ready to bet the company on his product - he may need to, if HTC is to remain a company worth betting.

Comments

chris125

I agree. They are going to have a hard time especially if Samsung really comes out with another solid product in the s4. Plus with this not being on Verizon is like the one x all over again. And they have the DNA yea but this is much nicer and improved in many areas.

MobileTechHead

I'll never buy another HTC phone.....a BIG fan 1 year ago.....Samsumg

paco

Yeah, sure HTC is going to recover his position with the keypoints of the new marketing team

2. HTC took down the sites that had their name and were look-a-like to their official website, nothing against custom roms or dev's.

3. Exactly what inestability?? Maybe what I just corrected above??

4. I agree micro-sd's would be nice, but they're making up for it with 32 and 64 gb versions without the partitions found on the One X which basically left you with little storage, so storage wont really be an issue.

5. Part of their uni-body design method, though I myself did enjoy the removable batteries, but uni-body makes the device feel better to hold and tougher to break.

6. They claim updates are now gonna be faster since their updates now are not gonna be full roms shipped to the carriers to bloat and lock down. Please read a bit more and educate yourself before posting.

PS: Yes

Haedocynic

Ad 4: They tend to overprice the internal storage a lot, so those models with more storage probably have bad quality-price ratios. If Samsung has a similar phone with the same internal memory for the same price, but *with* a card reader, you can save € 200 by buying the 16GB model.

Ad 5: What breaks is usually the screen, so as long as it isn't extremely fragile I don't care about unibody sturdiness. In fact, is it really harder to damage? When my phone drops, the flexibility afforded by the looser shell and the back cover that always comes off may make it *less* quick to be damaged.

Fatty Bunter

Newsflash: the average consumer (which is what this entire article was talking about) doesn't give a shit about a single one of those things you just mentioned.

Not even the slow updates. They don't even know what version their phone is.

Lolo

I agree but how many times does the average person ask those who know about phones what phone they should get? I know about 15 people who have asked me what phone they should get. When I see stuff that paco stated, it is hard for me to recommend htc to others. Although we are a small percentage, I am sure our opinions help shape a sizeable chunk of the market.

Barton82

Yeah, same here. Not only that, but as a tech guy I'm the one they're all running to when they need help, so I will rather recommend a phone that's more flexible, easier to deal with, easier to modify if needed and easier to return to stock without a trace if it has to be returned for repair.

sean

Couldn't disagree with you more. The average consumer goes by word of mouth. Word of mouth of friends, family, etc... they may not give a shit, but they're asking others who probably do and are influenced by them. Most of my friends and family come to me because I'm techie and I steer them in one direction or another. Because these things matter to me(lack of SD card, non-removeable battery), I wouldn't recommend this phone and they, in turn, wouldn't buy it.

invinciblegod

Thats like saying you wouldnt recommend an iPhone because it doesnt have removable batteries or microsd cards. Those features are useless to people who don't use them.

Haedocynic

But people *do* use them and enjoy them if available. And I would certainly not recommend an Iphone. And some Apple fans listen to me and switch.

Tomi Golob

No,he didn't say that at all... there are other reasons why someone wouldn't reccomend an iPhone ,you know that right? :))

lllbenjolll

Most people. Do you even know how hard it is to use iphone? It is too pc dependent. If you are a movie freak, you need to convert the movie file into mp4 (time consuming). If you travel a lot, you cant update your songs if your iphone is sync with only one pc left at home. Im talking bout iphone nonjailbroken ok. Average users dont jailbreak their iphones. They would even wonder, omg, why cant my iphone send this pic thru bluetooth? Is there something wrong with my bluetooth? Hahaha

lllbenjolll

I will never recommend iphone especiallynow that android is so powerful. I habe had iphones but during the time i had them, i had a second gadget to complement it. I hate itunes and i hate the fact that i could only sync my iphone to my personal laptop. How in the world was iphone even marketed as an all in one device and user friendly? It wasnt and isnt. My nokia expressmusic is user friendly with micro sd and removable battery. Drag and drop feature. How old is it now? 6years? Iphone is for status symbol.

lllbenjolll

So if there are only htc with no micro sd and removable battery and iphone to choose from, htc for the win :) iphone is at the bottom of my choices. Sorry apple.

lllbenjolll

Wow, we have a lot in common. Hahaha my friends and family members have been asking me what phone they should bye. I always give choice of samsung s3 and note 2. Because of the sd card and removable battery. They wanted iphone 5 so much but i said no. It is not for you hahaha i have had iphones and i know how time consuming it is to use iphones. Too restrictive. So far, all of them are happy with samsung s3 and note 2. By the way, i am here to read bout htc's features but the lack if sd card and removable battery options mean i wont be recommending this device. Sorry htc.

UniBroW

except when that average consumer asks their nephew, son, daughter or whomever "hey, you have an android phone and seem to be on the up and up...what android phone should i get??" which happens VERY VERY VERY often.

Tomi Golob

I don't know how the updating process is done on an HTC phone these days but surely other brands have a notification system for a new OTA update ? My phone has that ,I'm guessing others have that too ,don't you think? Maybe the people you know don't care ...but the rest of the world has a lot of people using an android phone too and it seems they care about updates. Modders are a small community compared to others but their opinion carries weight. Removable battery is a very handy feature for people who are traveling a lot and can't charge their phone everywhere.

fixxmyhead

do u work for samsung or what? and why did u change your screen name too? i know ur the ''mobile techhead guy'' posting on here with different names. i know cuz i specifically remembered your comments. and @anonymous and @d99ac7e0366d0dcfbe98e729cca593b0:disqus i know thats u. you just changed the names and im willing to bet that @"techguy" is also u. why do u have to bad mouth HTC behind different names?

Tomi Golob

Jesus,you are such a baby... Yes everyone is conspiring against your beloved brand and we all work for Samsung!! LoL

they will never listen to customer. ever.
but they listen to apple.. (and pay apple, lol).

Elliot Powell

I think the Reason that Samsung has been so successful is more than just advertising, but shying away from the carrier exclusivity. That allowed Samsung to compete head to head with apple (which is also not a carrier exclusive anymore). HTC is finally following suit and shying away from being a carrier exclusive and making the flagship available to as many people as possible. (Trust me I wanted the One X but it was only available on ATT) I think Breaking from Carrier exclusivity especially for a flagship phone can move HTC (or any handset manufacturer for that matter) from an also-ran to a major contender. (I am looking at you LG too)

They're still missing Verizon, and they're still stuck in a distant third (or fourth through - ??th depending on market / metric) place. Like I said, it's not impossible - the One could turn things around for HTC, it's undoubtedly the right strategic move. My fear is the move looks like it may have come too late.

Elliot Powell

That may be true but, Verizon seems to be the only carrier concerned with differentiating themselves from the pack by the phones they offer (i.e the droid moniker) rather than their service and plans.It also seems that HTC wants to do what samsung did and ensure that the experience on the One is the same across all carriers. Perhaps HTC didn't want to compromise the One for them for Verizon didn't want a device to compete with and confuse the Droid DNA

Freak4Dell

I think you're right. I'd be willing to bet that Verizon declined the One because HTC didn't want it to have a different name. If this is true, good for them. It's about time they told carriers to buzz off with that bull.

nhizzat

This is what the DNA should have been. I'm sure there are a LOT of angry DNA owners now.

And that kind of attitude isn't a good way for them to regain marketshare.

Freak4Dell

It's not good for short-term marketshare, but it will be good for long-term marketshare. The average Joe doesn't take the time to look at specs and see that one phone is actually the same as this other phone with a completely different name. Let's say 3 guys, A, B, and C, are talking about phones, and A has a One on AT&T, B has an S3 on T-Mobile, and C is up for an upgrade on Verizon. A tells him to get a One, and B tells him to get an S3. C heads to the Verizon store, and he sees an S3 and a DROID SUPER AIDS!. He's going to pick up the S3 and tell A about how Verizon doesn't carry the One.

If the One ends up being a popular phone, Verizon will STFU and just carry it next time without any complaints, and HTC will gain marketshare at that point.

TylerChappell

Except Verizon keeps repeating its same mistakes of not carrying some of the better flagships, or they have HTC released a Droid exclusive just for them, months later. The Droid DNA is kinda like a super-powered OneX, that previews of what a flagship phone is in 2013. Quad-core CPUs, 1080p screens, 2GB of RAM, those are the 3 top features I expect all flagships to have this year, and look, the HTC One has them. wireless charging is also kinda up there, but hasn't fully caught on yet, and it's also not a feature people are demanding on a massive schale, so I expect it to be more commonplace in 2014. Just look at how Samsung has failed so badly on its promise of wireless charging for the GS3.
The point is, HTC is ahead in some important aspects, come March 22nd, they will have 2 1080p, quad-core devices with 2GB of RAM on every carrier in the US before other manufacturers have even gotten their first 1080p phone out the door. They ARE doing some things right.
We can all agree that Verizon is the absolute best when it comes to bastardizing flagship Android devices.

TylerChappell

I am a DNA owner that doesn't have any buyer's remorse about the One. My DNA has wireless charging so I get to use the beautiful Nexus 4 orb charger, can't do that with the One, and my DNA has a slightly larger screen, and I strongly prefer the red and black aesthetic. The the HTC One and Droid DNA have a nearly identical design language in terms of shape and the curve of the back and around the corners. Both are beautiful devices, and both have top-notch hardware, and they had that hardware before anyone else in the game.

David Dudovitz

The DNA also has the recent apps button, as opposed to the two-button mess on the One. If (with Verizon it is always if) the DNA gets a Sense 5 update, it will be the best of everything. I just hope HTC doesn't make the same bs claim they did with Sense 4, claiming older hardware "couldn't handle it".

SAMCRO

2 button mess? 1st its much cleaner looking...2nd with ability to customize double taping and holding those two keys its like having 6..seems great to me

I'm pretty sure it's the latter - killing DNA sales. Which doesn't change the fact that not being on Verizon still hurts this phone.

Luisito Mercado

I completely agree. Though marketing has a lot to do with HTS's lack of success, the carrier exclusivity was also a main reason. So many people wanted the One X and EVO 4G LTE on other networks, yet some had to just settle for S3's or other smartphones because all HTC had to offer these other carriers were mid-range phones, like the One SV for example..... Hopefully this new move will help them, and I trully hope it does, since I have always been a big HTC fan!

On another note, they really should also look into bigger batteries for such powerfull smartphones.... 2,300mAh?? smh.....

TylerChappell

Still better than the 2020 on the DNA and the 2100 on the GS3, and my DNA lasts me all day so 2300 is definitely not bad when you consider it has a more efficient CPU in it. 2300mAh will be plenty fine for this phone.

MrHaroHaro

I think the Samsung situation was pretty smart. If you remember they did play with carriers to give them de facto exclusives with the Galaxy S Captivate, Galaxy S Vibrant, Galaxy S Epic, etc. But they did it in such a way that people didn't say they had a "Captivate" or "Epic" they would say they have a "Galaxy S". So the "Galaxy S" name took precedent over the carrier specific model. At the same time you didn't feel like you got the short end of the stick depending on what model/carrier you got as they all were pretty much the same phone spec and performance wise.

This killed HTCs branding strategy last year where if you were on a carrier with an HTC One S, or One V as its exclusive you were clearly getting something inferior to the One X. So the One S was clearly worse than the One X with nothing to sort of make one interested in it, while the Galaxy S III was on the same carrier and was a way better phone than the One S and superior enough to the One X that it wasn't worth switching for. The One X had its own problems with it competing on a carrier with the best phones on the market (iPhone, Galaxy S III, Lumia 920).

Ultimately I don't know how much say HTC had/has in terms of carrier exclusivity. The carriers want the exclusive phones, and the carriers are the manufacturers' main customer. However you occasionally have a product like the Galaxy S that has big enough mindshare and demand that the carriers have to listen to their customers instead of desire for exclusivity. It also helps that Samsung can afford its own advertising, and isn't dependent on the carrier to push their phones.

mark

i will consider buying an HTC phone only when:

1- HTC releases one BIG high end phone every year. Not like they did last year: one x then one x+ then droid dna ... blah blah blah.

I want to make sure that they spend their time providing me with support and not making little tweaks to sell the same device a little better with a + in its name

2- they really need to get closer to the stock android. Don't these companies get that we want custom android and updates as soon as they come from google. HTC sense is by far the worst launcher I look at. Just ugly

fixxmyhead

hate to break it to u but to regular people updates dont matter. i see alot of people with high end phones with old versions of android but because they dont know how to update them they dont. HTC doesnt care about people like u your like the minority.

nhizzat

HTC also doesn't care about the majority. You know, like all of their Thunderbolt owners who just received the update to ICS nearly 2 years later? Or all of their DINC owners that updated to ICS which broke a bunch of stuff?

TylerChappell

Uhh, 13 months isn't quite 2 years....But yes, they were 5 months behind when they said they were going to release it, and I bought my Droid DNA just a week or two before the Verizon page got updated saying that ICS was on the way, but I think we can definitely blame Verizon for that more than HTC. The RUU that leaked out in August was a functional one, with data and wifi issues, but it still worked and I used it as my daily driver for a good few months, and I know HTC had to have those bugs fixed long before Verizon finally sent out the damn update. But all manufacturers have abandoned their phones. Look at LG's horrible track record, Samsung with the Stratosphere and Charge, as well as the motorola phones that were more than capable of running ICS. Asus does a better job at releasing updates than anybody, too bad they don't have much focus on phones, especially in the US.

Tomi Golob

LOL great comment

selonmoi

That's the message HTC has been trying to sell us for a couple years now: differentiated software is better than timely updates, slimness is better than battery life, fashionable design is better than upgradeability. You geeks just don't understand what *normal* people want!

How's that been working out for them, again?

Tomi Golob

I agree

Melissa Peterson

I would say that is mostly true, most people don't care about updates or don't even know their phone can be updated. Though there are people, who are the average consumer and see their family/friend's phone has a newer version and wonder why they don't have the newest version either. I also agree that people who actually care about Android as a platform are most likely the minority, which can probably be said about just any platform out there. Unfortunately companies don't seem to care about their true fanbase and just cater to people looking to buy whatever everyone's talking about, since that typically makes more money for them.

Luisito Mercado

I agree on the annually release of a super phone, for I too was deeply dissappointed when I heard the One X+ was being rumored a just a week after I bought my One X....

As for sense being ugly and instead being pure android (aosp), I disagree, simply because not everyone hates HTC Sense (I myself enjoy the widgets and the overall Sense launcher). One thing HTC does need to improve with Sense is the lag and slowness issues. As Sense 5 does seem lighter and more 'plain' looking, the lack of 3D style images and Sense elements should improve, according to HTC, the overall speed and smootheness of Sense, therefore pleasing many people like me who love Sense but hate lag. Instead of getting rid of it, it is better to have optional launchers on the Play Store for those who dont like the Sense launcher. Thankfully, that is the case. There are lots of launchers to choose from, and more will be made, so you have many options if you love everything about the HTC One but dont like Sense. Just my two cents anyways.

Anonymous

One one hand, the tables can be turned very quickly in this market. On the other hand, I feel like it gets harder and harder to impress in this market. I got into the android market with the galaxy spica, just before the 1GHZ phones started comming out. Those were the glory days. We were all actively seeking for the fastest phone, comparing "smoothness" and being convinced every new phone would be the phone that would outperform the iPhone.

That was the time where better specs could make all the difference in sales. The HTC/Samsung fight started heating up with the HTC Desire and the Samsung galaxy S. A lot of people argued that the HTC was the better phone because "better" build quality and Samsungs horrible update schedule.

2 years later, my friends' Desires have failed buttons, the logo on the back has come off and they are stuck with android 2.2 or buggy ICS/JB roms. The Galaxy S turned out to be the stronger phone, with all of them that I know of that are still in use still being in good shape except for some bad batteries, they all run either official 2.3 or a custom android 4.2 smoothly due to the better GPU. Even google decided in the end the galaxy S was almost a year ahead of the Desire by basing their next phone on the Galaxy S.

After that. HTC released the Sensation, and Samsung the GSII, at first, they seemed closely matched. But the GSII is still being sold and is remembered as an all time great, while HTC decided that they should take a different direction with their next phone. I feel like this was the generation that turned out to be the decisive generation for Samsung/HTC. Samsung was now considered by the public as a manufacturer to rival Apple, while HTC was just meh.

The last generation was mostly Samsung dominating because of the brand recognition from the previous generations, making them truly mainstream. For HTC to turn the tides they would have to bring out a phone that grabs people's attention again. Makes them exited and sets it apart from the competition like they did with the Touch HD and the nexus one. But based on the rumors of Samsung's new phone, the gap will only grow wider.

Yeah, HTC Sensation, LG Optimus 2x, Sony (E) Xperia Arc (???), those are GSII Rivals, which then left to the dust by their own manufacturer. And GS II still alive and kicking with Jelly Beans now.

Also despite all those plasticky cheapo feel complaints everyone always said to bash Samsung, my friend's GSII still looked like a new device because she used silicon case all the time (which I belive many people did too).

And on the Sensation thing, if HTC keep doing the same thing like it did to Sensation, made another version of One with One XE, One XL, One XXL++++++++, every other month, I doubt they will go anywhere.

SAMCRO

That's was the most incoherent nonsense I've ever read. My head hurts

Tomi Golob

Excuse me but, can you elaborate on that? What is it that's so "incoherent" in his arguments/opinions? :))

TechGuy

Nice as some of the "One" features are, people want a device with staying power as the greatest tech is useless when a bettery goes flat. The replaceable battery is a big plus for Samsung as well as a card slot - both missing from the HTC.

I hope it's a success as I'm all for healthy competition and liked my Hero when Android was a fledgling. Now I'm on my third Samsung and there's nothing much that could tempt me away from my Note II.

GIBsonCubed

HTC's issue has for some time been one of Communication...

* New products come out every 3 months, with only carrier based advertising.

* New versions of Android are promised to customers with Handsets that are a year or less old, and then never delivered/delivered so late no one owns the phone anymore

* HTC instead of giving solid reasoning for slipping/canceling a fore mentioned updates instead uses vague marketing speak that answers no questions and presents some that didn't exist previous to said speak.

* Users balk at features and bloat HTC forces on them to run what would otherwise be a brilliantly designed hardware experience, and HTC continues to push some form.

Having used an HTC phone since before android (HTC Pure anyone?) then followed up with a G1 and Desire HD, I've spent the bulk of my adult life with an HTC Cellular device, that said I'll not be buying this nor any other HTC Device. They had been the only Manufacturer I bought, now they are the only one I'm actively avoiding, Well played HTC, Well played

I don't see a single thing that excites me about the HTC One's software. The hardware seems great, but software is a pretty key differentiator once you really start using a device. With the current generation of phones, HTC loses out to Samsung on so many points, I lost count. I expect this gap to widen with the next gen Galaxies.

And let's not forget that hardware is not all about build, but also features. Removable batteries, microSD cards are all things people want. And the One doesn't have them. Again.

HellG

about removable batteries i was the same until i saw the new phones in the market they look very HQ and sturdy and with this metalic beast i'm ready to give up on the removable batteries if someone...anyone!! follow Motorola's foot steps and put a huge battery inside! for god sake they put the biggest battery out there in a 4.3incher, how big is the battery they are going to put in the X Phone with its 5 inch screen *_*
back to the point if samsung can provide a HQ phone and please be metalic WITH removable battery that wont feel like a toy in your hand i think samsung will be a winner!
HTC in the other hand with their horrible key replacement and (in my opinion) fugly UI and no SD-card slot is once again one step to the wrong direction, they do one step forward and 3 backward :/

PINJ

I Agree Man. I Was Wayyyy More Excited To Pick Up My One X Than To Pick Up This Thingy... And The Ad Surely Is Going To Raise Some (MTV-Type-Teenies) Heads, But Nah Not For Me. Ah Well, We'll See Once I Get My Hands On This Thing I Guess.

PINJ

And To Be Perfectly Honest, The 4 Megapixel Crap Is A Bad Bad Move For HTC One. If They Wouldve Increased The Sensor And Wouldve Made It A Triple 8 Layer Resulting In 24MP That Wouldve Been Good As They Couldve Started An Ad With Saying "Yeah Its Got A 8 MP Camera Like Everyone Else.... EXCEPT..." And Then Go On On How This One Differs; Not Go Back To The Stone Ages Of MP And Then Try To Convince The Average Buyer That It Somehow Competes With The Best In Its Class.

The camera will confuse, granted but if the quality is up there expect to see a lot of focus on reviews on the amount of noise. HTC has to market this effectively though to break down the barriers that consumers assume bigger is better.

Zebelious

I agree but I have my reasons too.

I need to save my sensitive data (i.e., souce codes, notes, scans of my documens) on a removable storage in case the phone does not start and has to be sent out for a repair. I certainly don't wish the repair people to read and see my files. HTC One does not meet this simple requirement.

If I'm ever going to be trapped by a weather storm, the power cut and all that, I would charge my spare batteries in advance and ready to go. Spare batteries offers the best practical solution which I can say from nearly 18 months experience. Portable batteries are only a second best solution which I only would consider it if only I knew I would be away from a power socket for more than a week in advance. HTC One does not meet this requirement of mine either.

I hardly care about the material quality used for the shelling, as long as it is not garbage, and the design. Once I'm holding the phone the only thing I can see, so as the others, is the screen. For a high quality shell, such as this, most people would buy a case to protect it by which the quality and design of the phone becomes very irrelevant. No justification for me to purchase HTC One.

Performance is very impressive but the same Qualcomm SoC will also be used by other manufacturers soon enough.

I give HTC One credit for having the full 2GB of RAM instead of something like 1.75GB, as they have almost done cuts with all their phones to save money.

If I don't like it then it doesn't mean you should too.

Haedocynic

I am with you, partly. Dropbox can back-up my files so that I can use them when my phone breaks down, so I don't need a card for that. As to the repair guy touching your files, you can put them on a password-encrypted volume on your phone. I don't think that's difficult to set up and manage. However, the phone does need to have a lot of internal storage space for me not to care about the lack of a card reader. It has to be 64 GB. Unfortunately, my Galaxy Nexus only has 16 GB. It is annoying. Memory is cheap for the manufacturer; but, alas, they all try to milk internal storage for 10x what it costs them, so the main problem with no card reader is that the phone becomes much more expensive, bringing the quality-price ratio down a lot.

As to replaceable batteries, why don't you like mobile chargers? I wouldn't like to have to buy several batteries *and* a loose-battery charger for my Galaxy Nexus. Instead, a mobile charger can easily contain 5 or 10 times as much charge as an internal battery. It can simply be charged by micro-USB. It has an indicator telling you how much charge it has left. It costs less than € 10. And you can also charge a full laptop battery or two with it. Or you can use it for your next phone too, unlike internal batteries. And to top it off you don't need to turn off your phone and pry it open when you run out of power: you simply ship out your mobile charger and attach the cable. You can hold both phone and charger in one hand if you put the charger behind the phone, if needed. Nevertheless, given the choice, I prefer having a replaceable battery, especially if it should break down or deteriorate severely.

I agree about material and exterior: as long as it isn't, say, pink rubber, and as long as it doesn't break, I couldn't care less.

So this HTC is probably not for us; but I do hope it becomes a success. The more competition, the better.

Zebelious

Thank you for your inputs.

The cloud storage solves one problem but introduces others. Accessibility, Privacy, Maintenance, Cost, and the lack of accountability of the solution providers.

The reason I don't like mobile batteries is simple. A 2500mAh battery would take about three hours to be fully charged. If I was charging the mobile battery then I need another three hours to charge the phone's battery too. With spare batteries after three hours of charging I can use them right away. I use two battery chargers for my spare batteries to charge 2 x 2500mAh in three hours.

Tomi Golob

That is strange... 3 hours? My SGS3 (I have the quad core version ) charges from zero to 100 well below 3 hours. In fact it charges in like 1 hour/1h30m or so... I hope I didn't make a mistake in timing the charging

Haedocynic

I think most phones charge much faster on a wall charger than via your computer's USB, so perhaps that's it.

Haedocynic

The idea with Dropbox that your data are saved in three locations at a time: on your phone, on Dropbox's servers, and on your home PC. Accessibility is perfect. Cost is zero if you only need a couple of GB (7 GB with Microsoft Skydrive), but still low if you need more. Lack of accountability I don't seen as a problem, in that you will still have your files if Dropbox should go down. As to privacy, you can encrypt your files automatically before storing them on Dropbox, with Boxcryptor or a number of other applications. There is no real maintenance required.

"If I was charging the mobile battery then I need another three hours to charge the phone's battery too." — I'm not sure what you mean here? You can charge your portable charger and your phone at the same time, by plugging them into your computer or a wall charger at the same time, just as with spare internal batteries. The only advantage of spare internal batteries, as I see it, is that putting one in only takes a few minutes, and then you're done for a couple more hours, whereas you would need to keep the portable charger plugged into your phone for longer. But you can just charge it as you use it, so there is zero waiting involved.

The main problem with cloud storage is that NOT EVERYONE have their data connection all the time, especially those in third world countries, where even 3G signal is still flaky. Then with 2GB data cap a month, there's only so much people can do with their music / video on the cloud. Again, NOT EVERYONE have unlimited data. Then, you can't save your ever increasing data file for current / future generation game on the cloud either. Maybe it wasn't really a big deal in US, but in other country, external storage is still much more preferable. Though I think for average people, 32GB seems enough to save all their music and photos and maybe some videos.

Well, if this can push Samsung with their Galaxies to rise to another level, then it's already did a great job.

Haedocynic

Okay, if you have a huge file, and you can't wait for the end of the day, when you come home, to back-up the file through your home Internet connection—or if you don't have Internet at home—, then an SD card becomes more attractive as a back-up medium. However, one problem is that, if you drop your phone into the river, or it is stolen, you still lose everything. If these data were really important, I should prefer to back them up to my PC by cable.

By the way, my mobile data bundle is only 500 MB, so I would not be able to back-up huge amounts of data either...

The logic on your argument is silly. Since when people use SD Card on their phone to backup their file, or to store their "only" files???? People use their SD Card on their phone to store their music so they can listen to it everywhere they go, store those massive data files required to run games. Some pictures and 1080p videos they took with their phone. Even then, people will backup / copy those pictures and movies on their pc (or facebook / instagram / picasa / whatever cloud service they use). So it doesn't really matters if they lose their phone or dropped it in the river or eaten by a tiger. If you of all people use SD Card on your phone to store important data or backup your files, then that's your fault if you lose it.

Then again, if people want to backup their file using cloud, they will use their pc directly instead of PC > Phone > Cloud, it really doesn't make any sense.

In the end you may argue that most people probably won't fill their 32GB storage on their phone, but if I can get 16 GB Storage (or even 8 GB) for $100 (or more) cheaper with SD Card slot on it. I'll take it any day over 32 GB. Because I can get a 32GB card for as low as $25.

dshim83

To play devil's advocate, for most security-minded people/firms, concern about losing a device is greater than the fear that it might need repairs. A device can always be locked/encrypted - but a removable SD card remains a far easier vulnerability to exploit on a lost phone.

Zebelious

Encryption only offers a partial solution but in the worse scenario the Encryption itself can cause data loss too. Same risk ratio as phone breaking down or to be stolen.

If users can lock the phone remotely then the external SD Card can be wiped out remotely too but I agree the external SD card is more vulnerable. However, it would take a single screw to take the hard drive of laptops out. These days laptop hard drives can be as big as 1TB whereas the largest SD card is only 128GB which is rare. It is easier to steal laptops, I guess, than phones because at one point one has to put the laptop down whereas phones can be securely placed in the pockets. USB sticks have the same vulnerabilities but that hasn't stop manufacturers from producing them nor consumers from buying them.

What I'm trying to say is security is not the reason manufacturers should decide not to include a SD Card slot whereas security is one reason people should not place their sensitive data on the cloud.

Tomi Golob

I agree. About the remote wiping of the phone data,that's true; in fact the SGS3 has this feature included inside the system itself. It's very neat too... You can even make the phone turn on the GPS so it tells you where its located and it can be remotely wiped,locked ,can even turn on the microphone or make some alarm sound if I'm not mistaken. I'm sorry, I bought it like a month ago or so (international quad core version) hence the enthusiasm . (i had the sgs1 before that) Plus the battery charges extremely quickly and lasts a very long time on a single charge... OK I'm gushing,I will stop now ;)) sorry ...i have gone a bit off topic here

I don't disagree with you guys, but don't forget that all the features you mention that the One doesn't have, the iPhone didn't have either. Yet Apple still managed to make people want it with its other features.

Given what's been reported about the One's sound quality (from its front facing speakers) and screen resolution (1080p in 4.7"), I think these features should be considered best in class in this current generation of phones.

By popular opinion HTC also occupies pole position as far as camera imaging in the Android world is concerned; if they can keep this up then the One is a genuine triple threat. They just need more advertising to let people know that.

jenss

I respect your opinion, but if I want a phone without removable batteries and microSD cards, I'll pick iPhone. it's simply like that.

I know what you mean. There are probably a lot of people who feel like you do too.

But I think more people place priority on the screen+camera+sound combo of features than removable batteries+microSD cards.

Tomi Golob

OK are you saying you wouldn't buy an HTC phone that you were in love with ,because it didn't have those things ? Liar liar pants on fire! ;) (j/k)

troph

Wait... you picked you phone due to microSD cards and removable battery?

Davy Jones

HTC can only win on specs until the S4 comes out, and even before it does people will be waiting to see what Samsung puts out. The same thing happened with the One X, where it looked great until the S3 came out, and people were waiting for that too.

Tomi Golob

OK so the iPhone also didn't have them... That makes two phones that I wouldn't buy. Strange defense though,as if one "meh" phone + one "meh" phone equals zero "meh" phones :) I disagree about the HTC lead in camera quality...
Apple managed that because people trusted the brand and apple has a cult like following by their consumers. And their phones are extremely easy to use

BTW don't forget that many modders despise HTC for turning their backs at them. HTC didn't have a good track record in the AOSP community in the past. And say what you will but Sense looks very outdated

IMO, none of these matters. It doesn't take a genius to know that In order to win back the market share from Samsung, HTC only has 3 choices:

1) As this piece suggests, an enormous successful marketing campaign. This unfortunately requires a lot of money. Even worse, marketing is something you could put a lot of money into and still fail.

2) Put together a phone with hardware far far ahead of every other single phones in its league -- First of all, consumer electronics rarely works like that. Very few companies have technology that no other companies can match to a certain degree. Secondly, Motorola seems to be doing exactly this with the X-Phone, so even if HTC does that, it still has to deal with a direct competitor that at this point, has higher potential to attract this kind of phone's audiences -- hardcore Android fans.

3) Sell a respectably competitive phone at an extremely affordable price -- Google is doing exactly this for its Nexus line, and I just can't see how HTC can compete with that.

As you can see, HTC isn't doing any of the above. At the same times, it seems to be doing a little bit of everything above. May be if HTC follows through with such strategy patiently, some days it will win back the market share, but I just don't think what it's doing now will let them win back fast.

P.S. The fact that you and me, and many Android fans online have voiced their concern about The HTC One is a bad sign on its own.

IMO what HTC needs to do before this marketing campaign is a whole new level of software. Go big or go home. Meaning make android more interesting to use that on any other phone or go stock. Sense cannot be fixed. It left such a bad taste in my mouth, I will not want to use another HTC phone with Sense any time soon.

Tomi Golob

Amen,finally someone who said what needs to be said. Sense is horrid IMO ... The design looks dated and just doesn't come well together with the phone's design. The new flip board style of launcher has a way nicer icon grid and style. I also haven't noticed any notification led...does it have it somewhere?

Melissa Peterson

I agree, the hardware usually isn't half bad. However, the software almost always comes out as being unsatisfactory. If I ever get a device from HTC, the first thing I'll probably do would be to root and put CM or another ROM on it, because the software more often than not just slows down the phone and doesn't really add that much. It looks like here they even took away from some of the functionality, because there is no Google Now which is seen as a key feature for JB. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I also get the feeling that the people that enjoy removable batteries and sd card slots are becoming the minority here. It wouldn't surprise me if the average consumer didn't even know if their phone had a removable battery and sd card slot.

UniBroW

completely agree, this just looks like a big fail to me. I would never even consider an Apple device or a windows phone, to be quite honest, but if my options were limited between this phone, the iPhone and a windows phone this phone would be at the very bottom of that list. And for anyone that actually knows me, that says a lot.

The button placement and that logo just screams "we care more about our branding then your ability to navigate and use your phone."

One of the few but biggest reasons I've stayed away from the Nexus line is because LACK OF A SD CARD, if htc is going to offer a phone with the same limitations but then add on weird button placement and their sense ui they are offering me a losing proposition.

Looks like it's going to be year of the Samsung again, or maybe Moto if they can deliver on their hyped up xphone

Evaris

You do know that most all new android phones are supposed to be shipping without microSD becasue Google itself is trying to get people to stop relying on the medium? If you need to back-up use your PC or the cloud. I haven't used up half of an 8GB micro-SD on my Nexus One, which is my day-to-day phone. The 64GB on the HTC One is exponentially more than I would ever use.

The only point I agree with you is the HTC logo not being a button, largely for placement. Had they made the logo a home button and left the multitasking button, that would have made sense and it would just have looked weird. It being dead space is a bad decision on HTC's part. However the features for sound and construction may well make this my phone to upgrade to. I want a phone that feels good to hold in my hand, is fast enough not to make me wait, and has enough space for all my apps. Sadly, my Nexus is falling behind on the last two, and I prefer an aluminum phone to the Glass on the N4.... so who knows, this or the X phone I'm thinking depending on how they feel.

UniBroW

Where did you read that Google wants manufacturers to stop using sd cards? I didn't realize that was a new rule with the open handset alliance.

That's fine that you don't use a sd card, personally I like the option. That's not even my biggest complaint. To me, this phone isn't even on my radar. Call me crazy but I don't give half a crap about some 1080p screen in a phone when it's missing things that I ACTUALLY WANT MY PHONE TO HAVE, like NOT having that sense crap, having a sd card, preferably a removable battery, buttons that make sense (ironic). Locked bootloader, don't give me that HTC dev garbage and the list goes on

Evaris

1. sense - dev version or unlock on your own through a simple download to your PC, then pop on stock JB. Fixed. Sense makes sense (lol) for a lot of people and this phone is being pushed for the general public of information consumption based consumers and general people.

2. SD card. Because you need so much more storage why exactly now? Also, Google has been pushing for the removal of the usage of SD cards since JB came out, why do you think they took out the option to run apps from SD storage in JB? It is part of project butter. They're not trying to force it, nor is it a requirement of the OHA, however it is something Google wants.

3. Removable battery - I prefer a high quality lithium polymer battery than a cheap removable one. Which is why my Nexus One still holds it's battery's charge after 3 years of use unlike a lot of Samsung batteries that NEED to be replaced after 1.

4. Buttons - yeah it's kinda a stupid layout. If the big HTc logo was a home button I'd have no problem and it would make sense. Their design team was stupid on this one I'm afraid.

5. Bootloader - as part 1, really not hard to unlock. If you're going to do anything that needs an unlocked bootloader downloading one extra program to your PC isn't an issue.

6. list goes on - Me personally I want a quality built phone that is reasonably fast without lag, can last me 3 more years, and feels good to hold in my hand. Thusfar I have yet to find an equal to my Nexus One however it is getting along in the years and as such I am quite considering the new HTC one as a phone. You might not think of it as being that great but eh oh well.

UniBroW

But don't take it from me, watch htc's continued decline as this phone is NOT going to save them. Much like in said last year when the hox was announced.

I know it sounds like I want them to fail, I don't. I wish more than anything that they could complete but they keep proving that they can't

Tomi Golob

OK are you saying you wouldn't buy a phone that you were in love with ,because it didn't have an SD card slot? Liar liar pants on fire! ;) (j/k)

StoneColdCarl

I really want HTC to succeed. The One X was a beautiful device, and it's a shame that it didn't do so well. What HTC needs the most is attention. Samsung brought attention by attacking Apple head-on with the commercials. Regardless of your opinion, one thing for sure is that it caught people's attention, hence brand recognition. There were articles talking about the controversial ads outside of tech sites, and people became more exposed to the brand. Here's to hoping for a successful year for HTC.

HTC can't afford to try and be "different" any more. It's the simple things that are killing them. Battery life, storage, hardware key placement, etc. They only have to look at Samsung's sales numbers on the S2 and S3 to get an idea of what people want. All day battery life? Yes! Super-duper 3D camera that auto updates to Twitter and Facebook? Not if the battery only lasts 4 hours.
The only thing that HTC has on Samsung is build quality. I'd take the aluminum body from HTC over the paper thin plastic from Samsung any day. Sadly for HTC, it takes more than that to sell 100 million phones.

SAMCRO

So you've used the One to test the battery? Oh that's right...I have an Evo LTE right now that lasts easy 19 hrs with heavy use...that's great battery. Gets better battery life than my wife's S3 and I've tested the shit outta them.

MrHaroHaro

HTC is in a tough spot all around.

With regard to the HTC One, the specs are pretty "meh" in that they're the expected specs for a phone coming out this year and the design is too similar to the iPhone and the Blackberry Z10. HTC suffers from not bringing any sort of "stability" in terms of perception their brand and their software. It's nice that they still call the UI "Sense" but there have never been any particular standout features that give consumers a good perception of the Sense UI and the HTC brand as a whole.

It sucks that they have to keep the "One" name as it's pretty awful, but they're pushing for marketability and its too late to conjure up the names of its past great phones (Desire, Legend, EVO, Sensation... okay maybe not but I liked mine), and too early to move away from the One brand started by the One X (S, V etc.) as that would kill any perception of stability in their branding. So the name sucks but they have to go with it. Here's what they should've/should do:

-Rename the UI. Name it the "One UI" or something to that effect. Bring that UI and its Android updates to the previous One line. You want to make past customers still under contract happy enough that they'd want to buy your HTC One 2 (see? It's an awful name). I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with the UI (yes it's bloat but I went a year on Sense 3.whatever with no complaints and Sense 5 looks pretty nice) but it is a pain to get rid of it, so:

-Stop with the locked bootloader bullshit. It was a pain to root my Sensation. This isn't helping you with the developer community. Lots of people (not a majority but still, people that are tastemakers in the Android community) want ease of hackability for their phones. If I am sure that I can trust HTC to make it relatively easy to install CM or something on my phone, I will buy their phone. And I can easily recommend it to others. They might not root or install ROMs on them but the fact that people are recommending and buying it gives it enough cred so more people will recommend and buy it (it's a chain). I've recommended Samsung devices (and I don't fucking like Samsung) to others because even if they don't get the latest updates (and Samsung has a fucking great track record these days) there is a huge community making ROMs for their Samsung Galaxy S/Note/Tab/Y/Ace/Andromeda/Crab Nebula/etc.

-Do not give the "One" name to your crappy, free on contract phones. HTC needs free-on-contract phones. Every company needs cheap phones, there's no shame in it. However they should not have the One brand (unless they are last year's One models). That killed the EVO brand on Sprint. Call them Desire, Legend, Sensation, Inspire... "But Sprint/Verizon wants the 'HTC (EVO/DROID) One by Sprint/Verizon." No one's buying your fucking phones there anyway, tell them to go pound sand. Okay, call them Droid whatever but don't put the word One anywhere near them unless they throw serious advertising at them. And don't make international GSM versions of them. You need to create a global brand and focus on it.

Nex Unit Xyber

If I am going to buy a phone with NO removable battery and NO Micro SD slot.... its GOING to be an iPhone. I love android to death but their flexibility and "openness" its what keeps me following it, eaven AOSP UI is far inferior in visuals and ery candy that iOS. No why would I buy a "closed" phone like the Nexus 4 or this over it? At least with an iPhone I know its built by Apple, has more high quality apps and I will ALWAYS have current OS. no thank you!

You make a good point about the "closed-ness" of the Nexus 4; not many people / sites have picked up on that.

I personally feel Google are making the Nexus brand - which is seemingly discarding more and more of the "original" Android strengths (ie things that people traditionally said Android had which the iPhone lacked: expandable storage, removable battery) every year - become more and more like the iPhone.

Melissa Peterson

I think it's because the people that actually care about these are the minority, I bet if you asked the average person if their phone had a removable battery and sd card slot they might not even know. Also what company is going to put in features not that many people would use in the first place.
I happen to use the Evo 4G and enjoy having an sd card slot and removable battery, but I'm trying to be realistic here.

I agree with you 100%! I made a similar point in another comment above :)

For the record I have the Nexus 4 and am enjoying the experience, although I would definitely love it more if it had the option of expandable storage and a removable battery.

primalxconvoy

Htc's lack of internal memory, bloated os, and lack of sd card and removal battery have all firmly placed the company's products at the budget end of the Android Market. Perhaps they should acknowledge that and move on making cheap entry level Android devices.

Jon Garrett

I really like AP, I come here every day some times several times in a day. I cant believe the comments below, how anal some of you people are.

I think at least half of you should go to cult of mac--you'd be happier there I think.

Blowntoaster

great editorial...Hope this HTC phone is a winner though...Samsung products are great, if starting to become a little too common and mainstream. Let's hope more UI and Software features start coming out on the One and other new HTC/Android devices

chlo1ber

I think you have a point that they do the same mistakes again. I love my HTC One X and would probably love the One, but they are using again the exact same strategy as last year:

* Sound
* Camera
* Build quality

It didn't work last year and I'm afraid it won't work this year. The only things that are different: they want to improve marketing and the device is available on way more carriers, which is a big plus.
Maybe - just maybe they can also win over some iPhone users. I saw MANY posts, WAY more than ever before on several forums from iPhone users that they will maybe buy this phone. Because what matters to them is build quality (aluminium nowadays it seems), great display (you need at least 1/3 more density to be able to compete with an iPhone, you know.. -.- ) and it kinda looks similar to an iPhone. But that won't be a game changer.

Let's just hope that being on many carriers is enough to at least get them back on track.

SAMCRO

Its absolutely rediculous to me that people have made up there mind about this phone without even using it. I love HTC .. as always quality, great sound and camera and amazing screen. I am a power user, developer, modder and themer. I used to be hung up on sdcard SD lots and removable batteries. But the fact is with cloud storage and high internal storage along with bigger batteries and battery performance its not an issue for me. I run 19hrs easy on a charge with extremely heavy use. My wife has the S3 and as its a good phone, its simple and nothing to look at. Has no class or originality. I'd buy a LG or Sony before a Samsung any day. I bet this phone drops the naysayers jaw once they have it in there hand. Meanwhile I'll be present ordering mine!!

I've given up with HTC. The 2012 HTC One X is running Android 4.1.x I'll bet it never sees Android 4.2.x and I'll bet the 2013 HTC One doesn't start running Key Lime (or whatever Google announce in May) until 2014. HTC just don't get it.

SoWhy

What is it with HTC and hating microSD cards? Even if I was considering buying a new phone, I wouldn't buy the HTC One because the storage is limited to whatever HTC thinks is sufficient...

another failure. a good looking phone with great features. HTC is not Apple, they will not sell enough phones if they don't have micro sd. I can live with a sealed battery but I don't like it. I like the way sense looks, but again, I don't want the lag associated with skins.